Nudist Travel Guide is an educational guide to the world of nudist travel

New Nudist Fun: First-Ever Clothing-Optional Triathlon!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Bar S Ranch Clothing Free Resort and Country Club awaits on its vast 380-acre wooded, hilled grounds in Reidsville, N.C.

On a normal day, Bar-S nudist resort gives visitors and members the chance to be one with nature, to enjoy peace and solitude.If you like the outdoors, Bar-S-Ranch has miles of trails, Lake Wanda with swimming and fishing, plenty of camping, a swimming pool, and the Cow Pasture Golf Course (watch your step).Bar-S is the only nudist resort I recall whose website lists “reading” as one of the popular pastimes, a reminder that social nudism is not always about socializing - reading a book is fine too.

“Come enjoy our dream. Leave the stresses and pressures of life behind while you relax in the tranquility, security and privacy you will find at the Bar S Ranch,” says the Bar S Ranch website.This is an escape from the world of cell phones, text messaging, big box retailers and traffic jams.

That’s a normal day.

A less than normal day will be Saturday, August 11, 2007.On that day, Bar-S-Ranch tries to take nudist recreation to new heights with the first-ever clothing optional sprint triathlon.Offering nudists and the courageous a completely novel experience, the event makes the most of Bar-S-Ranch’s trails and lake.Participants will do a 500-meter lake swim, a 20-kilometer (12.4 mile) bike ride and a 5K run.

Clothing?Only a helmet is needed for the bike ride, a cross-country fusion of hilly terrain, wide golf cart paths, gravel road and single tracks.(A cushioned bike seat may come in handy too.)

Keeping in the theme of “clothing optional on your own terms” while encouraging participation, the triathlon event is not open to general spectators except that each participant can bring a guest.Resort members and volunteers will be there too.

To a lot of people, this level of privacy is desirable. This is a contrast to World Naked Bike Ride which involves riding through the streets naked amongst clothed people and an exceptional comfort level with being nude in public.

So think about the triathlon and the rare, historical opportunity it presents. You could be one of the first participants in the first-ever clothing optional triathlon in the United States.More on the event and registration here.

If the Clothing Optional Sprint Triathlon is too much for you, take pride in your hide!That’s right, the “Take Pride in Your Hide 5K Walk & Run” is planned for Saturday, July 28th, 2007 at 9:00 AM at Bar-S-Ranch Nudist Resort.

Or, just visit on a normal day. As the map at right shows, the grounds hold plenty of opportunity for outdoor nude recreation.

--Nudist Footnote--

When it comes to nudist fitness and sporting events, Pete Williams’ Fitness Buff Radio Show seems to know what’s best.If you want to stay in the know, subscribe to their e-newsletter (fill out form on the Fitness Buff Radio Show website).That’s how I first learned about the Clothing Optional Sprint Triathlon at Bar-S-Ranch Nudist Resort. Host Pete Williams plans to participate in the event. Go Pete!

More Nudists in France: "La Jenny"

What well-regarded nudist destination has a nude beach, pool, nude golf, biking, hiking and more in a family-friendly environment in the Bordeaux region of France?

By the title of the article, the answer is easy: La Jenny.

While France's famous naturist village of Cap d'Agde has been reviewed here before, besides culinary delights, France serves a plate full of nudist destinations. France also provides La Jenny, Euronat and many other destinations.

The other naturist village, La Jenny, lies on the Atlantic Ocean on northwest side of France and offers a low-key, relaxing place to be naked.

La Jenny is a large, family-friendly nudist campground, a very different experience from the larger, more commercial Cap d'Agde.

La Jenny's centerpiece is an incredible grouping of 4 swimming pools kept at 77 degrees to provide a week of enjoyment.

And if the pool is not enough for you, take a walk down to the Atlantic Ocean. Lifeguards are on hand in the main section. When the conditions are right and waves high enough, surfing naked is the way to spend the day. Most people would rather just catch some sun on the nude beach.Naked golf...real naked golf is a rarity. La Jenny's course is only 4 holes, but is probably the best 4 holes of nudist golf around.

To get around, ride a bike. Bikes are available for rental for riding around through the extensive grounds. Ride from your rented chalet down to the beach to play naked beach volleyball in the sand. Then ride back and have a nude dinner at the clothing-optional restaurant.

Accommodations at La Jenny include chalets/cabins and a campground. The chalets come in many sizes and prices, in peak season from around $70 to $200 a night. The typically include a refrigerator and hotplates for cooking. Some have ovens, dishwashers and other conveniences.La Jenny even has a small grocery store where visitors can shop in the buff for food to bring back to the chalet. Having shopped at stores like this in Cap d'Agde, I am sure this is a fun experience at La Jenny too.Learn more about La Jenny at their website.

What are the Real Problems with Young People and Nudist Resorts?

Monday, May 14, 2007

An article was published yesterday in the Hartford Courant titled “Aging Nudists Have Trouble Attracting Young” by Cara Rubinsky. According to the author, “No one is quite sure why nudity, at least the organized version promoted by the AANR and similar groups, is such a tough sell for younger people.” Since it appears the closest the author probably got to a nudist resort was through a phone connection, I can offer some different opinions.

I’m no expert. I am just a casual nudist participant who would like to see more young people in the under-35 generation like myself participate so that it all doesn’t go away when the baby boomers, well, die off.

If nudism in the US is going to stay, nudist business owners need to understand the market. It is Business 101 that markets change over time and that baby boomers differ from gen X, Y and the millennials.

Why?

Well, the world has changed and become more complicated over the years. The younger generation has different needs from baby boomers. Each individual in the younger generation has to decide such things as “Is nude recreation where I want to spend my time and money as compared to other things like text messaging, cell phone bills and running up credit card debt?” The baby boomers didn’t have this complexity when they grew up.

If you want to understand the difference in complexity, just start listing the issues: the US educational system, US healthcare, culture, religion, economics, law, media, technology, immigration, globalization, etc. It gets complicated fast. In all areas, the younger generation is experiencing a different world. They have different needs. The market has changed.

Business owners need to adapt the business model. You can’t sell a horse carriage to a racecar driver. Many US nudist resorts have failed to adapt or even adjust the business model.

I like Berkshire Vista in Massachusetts as a nice nudist campground that has basic accommodations, sizeable grounds and a good pool and hot tubs. As a member of the younger generation, I do not feel that they cater to me in any way. Their ad in AANR’s The Bulletin monthly newspaper has been the same for years, much like the facility. Sorry, the younger generation wants new, unique and hip.

If you are young and want entertainment at Berkshire Vista, forget it. The DJ Dance is, well, not like going to a night club with techo music. Instead, think classics.

Berkshire Vista does have a ping-pong table in a small rec room, however the rec room is intended for kids. When we visited on a day kids were not in the campground, the rec room door was locked and we were told we couldn’t use the rec room. “Nice! Well, I guess we will leave early then.”

That’s no way to adapt to the market Berkshire Vista. But don’t you worry, I will be back someday as the rest of the place is suitable for nude recreation - but I hope some changes are tested to try to make the place better and attract more people.

The Hartford Courant article mentions Solair Recreation League, called a “nudist camp” by the author, located in northeastern Connecticut. The author interviews Gordon Adams at Solair, probably by phone:

‘"We don't want the place to turn into a gated assisted living facility," said Gordon Adams, membership director at Solair Recreation League, a nudist camp in northeast Connecticut that recently invited students from dozens of New England schools to a college day in hopes of piquing their interest.’ (Source: Hartford Courant, May 14, 2007)

I actually visited Solair once last year and can speak with limited authority, though more than the Hartford Courant author. Solair is a well-kept facility worth a summer weekend visit, but in my experience, the membership policy and first 30 to 60 minutes inside the gate could be considered awkward by first-timers, especially younger ones.

As my wife and I understood it, Solair is a membership club and we could visit Solair 4 times. After the forth time, we’d need a membership. We’re not ready for that kind of commitment. There are 270 AANR affiliated destinations. We want to try them all and not be locked in.

Additionally, during each of the first 4 visits, we were supposed to seek out a person with a yellow hat. The yellow hat people do memberships and tell you about the place. After they do that, they’re supposed to sign your membership sheet.

Nice idea and I’m sure some people love it, but not us. We just went to Solair wanting to relax and get away from the complications of life for a day. We did not want to talk to yellow hat people. Understand the market: Not everyone who goes to a nudist resort wants to socialize every single time, so don't force them or they will not be happy. Then, the younger ones will gets blogs like me and soapbox for the whole world not to read.

OK, so we got through all the paperwork at the front desk (FYI, younger people really hate paperwork and expect everything to be computerized and completed instantly) and then we got back in our car and followed an older naked guy in a 4-seater golf cart to the main parking area.

We were asked to take off our clothes, while the guy waited, and then we got in the back of the golf cart (with our towels) for a tour around the place. To us who have visited several destinations, this was fine, but to a younger first-timer it may be extremely awkward, sorry to say. The tour was nice, but should have been optional. Give me a map. Let me walk around and do it my way...just like the internet...click, click, click... The younger generation likes options and customization.

Solair can do what they want for whatever reasons they want, but they seem to be over-complicating the experience. By comparison, Berkshire Vista and most other places we've visited take only a few minutes at the gate if you show an AANR membership card. Then, you are in and enjoying the place.

Once you get through Solair’s initial steps, the rest is better. Solair's facility is well-kept and spread out with a lot of activities. The pool, though smaller, is is good for lounging and playing water volleyball. A lot of people were swimming in the lake too.

Next to the pool, in the recreation building, there was a hot tub and a unisex, multi-stalled bathroom (which is unique in my limited experience). On the first floor of the recreation room there was an ice cream stand, lounge, ping-pong table and pool table. (The pool table was not free though. Grrrrrr.) There are other nudist facilities on site and recreation options, but I will save that for another post that will cover all of the good things about Solair.

Streaking Nude a Hit

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Recent nude runs at nudist resorts have had a positive turn-out from participants of all ages. Lake Como had over 100 participants and Paradise Lakes about 80. Many more nude runs are planned this year at various AANR-affiliated nudist resorts in the United States. Streaking is in.

According to the Fitness Buff Radio Show (nude radio show) e-Newsletter:

"More than 100 runners turned out for the 15th annual "Dare to Go Bare 5K" at the Lake Como Resort on Sunday, May 6. Fitness Buff host Pete Williams finished in 22:06. Co-host Sabrina Vizzari, who lives nearby and created the race in 1993, did not get out of bed in time."

I'll bet Pete now makes fun of Sabrina regularly on the Fitness Buff radio show they do together.

The inaugural Cotton Tail 5K Fun Run at Paradise Lakes was held a few weeks before on April 21st. The race results show almost 80 participants. Not bad for the inaugural event. According to the Paradise Lakes website:

"The inaugural Cotton Tail 5K Fun Run was a BLAST. And, it appears Streaking may have improved some runners times! See how clothes can weigh you down? Thank you for everyone who helped make this fun event happen. We had lots of positive comments and the participants are looking forward to the Sneaker Streaker 5k September 22 at 8:00 a.m."

Upcoming nude runs:

On June 2, Turtle Lake Resort, a nudist resort in Union City, Michigan, will be hosting the annual 2007 Turtle Lake Resort 5K. According to their website:

"If you love to run or walk, the Annual TLR 5K is a must. For those of you who have never participated in this event before, Turtle Lake offers you the new experience of a Run/Walk in the nude. This is, however, a clothing optional event, so nudity is not required for the Run/Walk. All participants will receive a 5K Run T-shirt. Prizes will also be available to the winners. There are several categories in which prizes are given, so there are many opportunities to take home an award."

The event will be followed by a nude minigolf tournament, horseshoe tournament and DJ dance, making for a fun-filled day of activities. Learn more on Turtle Lake's calendar.

Received this in my inbox from AANR's East coast division and thought it worth passing on. One of the major benefits of nudist organizations like AANR is their efforts to preserve nudist freedoms. Here's an opportunity to participate:

AANR East Government Affairs Training

Invitation from AANR East President - Susan Weaver

AANR-East Member:

As President of AANR-East I am concerned that the Government Affairs and Community Awareness Programs in the region are not as robust as they could be. The first step to address this concern was to recruit a volunteer leader to be the AANR-East Government Affairs Training Coordinator. Ms. Audrey Weber, a resident of Northern Virginia and a member of Avalon has agreed to accept this challenge. Our next step is to recruit volunteers from each state in the region.

Now, we need a Government Affairs Coordinator for each state in the region. The full responsibilities of the position will evolve as the program develops, however we envision that the State Coordinator will identify state and local legislative initiatives and community actions that have the potential to impact nudism negatively in the region. The State Coordinator will also be expected to establish a network of volunteers within the state to assist with that mission. We also would like for the State Coordinator to provide training and awareness of the Government Affairs/Community Awareness Program at the clubs within the state. It is anticipated that there will be bi-monthly or quarterly teleconferences with the other State Coordinators and Audrey.

A Government Affairs and Community Awareness Training session is scheduled for June 16-17, 2007, at Avalon in Paw Paw, WV. We are very fortunate that many of the people on the AANR National Government Affairs staff will be in the Washington, DC area and have agreed to spend a few extra days to work with us. The trainers are Alonzo and Debra Sue Stevens, Shirley Gauthier and Patricia Orner. The agenda will include how to start a Community Awareness and Government Affairs program in each state, the difference between the two, and the importance of both. The training will provide the tools that we need to jump start the AANR-EAST Government Affairs and Community Awareness Program.

You are being contacted about this opportunity to serve nudism because you are one of the people in AANR-East who have expressed an interest in Government Affairs training or are registered as a club liaison for Government Affairs. If you are interested in being the State Coordinator or involved in the reconstituted Government Affairs Program, please contact Audrey Weber (fkkfrau[nospam]ATverizon[nospam].net or 703-425-1644) before May 14, 2007. The June training will be provided at no cost to the State Coordinators and open to anyone else who would like to attend, on a space available basis.

Wreck Beach: Pictures of Vancouver's Clothing Optional Beach

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Pictures of Wreck Beach, Vancouver's famous clothing optional beach, are hard to find. Like every nudist destination I know of, photos are not allowed of nudists.Correction: After recently visiting, I did not notice any signs prohibiting cameras, though the regulars would probably toss a camera in the water if they saw someone trying to take pictures of others without getting the consent of the subjects first. So no need to worry. This preserves the privacy rights of clothes free beach goers.

Fortunately, travelers have taken photos of Wreck Beach taken during the off-season and when the weather is too cool for naked people to be around.

On a warm summer weekend afternoon, the place is surely packed and much nicer to look at.

In France at Cap d’Agde naturist village, lots of people do business within the gated naked city. Some were nudists wearing clothes because of the job. Others were accepting of nudists and chose to work in this environment.

The most uncomfortable part for me being naked and buying groceries in a Cap d'Agde store is that the clothed clerk does not speak English very well and I am equally bad with French.

After recently staying at Paradise Lakes Resort and Caliente Resort in Florida, I became more comfortable.

As my wife and I casually walked naked from the pool area to our room at Paradise Lakes Nudist Resort, we were passed by a man driving a garbage truck.

"Hey, did you realize a garbage truck just passed us and we are completely naked?", I asked.

During our first year of nudism we would have been embarrassed. Now, after some years, we understand that the garbage man is just doing his job. He’s probably been to the place many times and has acclimated. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We are free to enjoy nudism.

I'll bet the man driving the truck wishes he was off from work that day so he could swim in the pool with the nudists.

Later, we saw construction workers building a new house at Caliente. They did not even pay attention to us.

Yes, a nudist resort is the one place where even the “plumber’s butt crack” is not noticeable. Everyone can do there own thing, whatever that is.